They always have a winning strategy, know the best places to compete and what it takes to bring a trophy home.

It may sound like an elite athlete, but researchers say it's qualities found in a new breed of shoppers.

Researchers found that sport shoppers don't just bargain hunt for the best deals, but also for the thrill of it.

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Similar to an athlete reminiscing on their past achievements, a sport shopper can remember details of the bargain items in their closets, sometimes including the date of purchase and the sale and original price. Each shopper has developed a strategy behind every shopping endeavor, just like athletes before a game

Professors from San Francisco State University revealed this new breed of shoppers and presented evidence that they have similar behaviors of competitive athletes in that they view bargain shopping as an achievement domain.

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Achievement goal theory, which describes the motivational behavior of sports athletes in achieving their athletic goals, was used in the study to better understand the motivation of sport shoppers.

The study looked at American undergraduate students, who filled out open-ended surveys, participated in interviews and took part in closet inventories.

HOW TO GET THE BEST BARGAINS

Make a List of Items You Want to Buy: When huge sales are going on, your objective should be to buy only the items on your list at the lowest price possible.

Scope Out the Best Deals Ahead of Time: Make sure you scope out the best deals ahead of time to make the most of your time while shopping.

Make a Plan of Attack: Once you have identified the best deals on the items you want to buy, make a list of each item, the best store in which to buy it, the discounted price and the normal price.

Shop Online with Your Smartphone: Ensure that you are making the most of your time whenever you are waiting in a line to purchase an item.

Use Rewards Credit Cards for Extra Savings: Always use rewards credit cards to tack on a few extra percentage points of savings to every purchase.

The researchers then analyzed the information using three categories: task, ego and social approval.

Achievement goal theory, which describes the motivational behavior of sports athletes in achieving their athletic goals, was also used in the study to understand the motivation of sport shoppers.

‘This is somebody who takes great pride in their ability to get the thing they want at a discount,’ said Kathleen O'Donnel, associate dean of the School of Business.

‘It's not about spending the least, it's about saving the most.’

Sport shoppers are consumers who love to bargain shop, not because they have to but because they get a thrill from it. Professors from San Francisco State University presented evidence that they have similar behaviors of competitive athletes in that they view bargain shopping as an achievement domain

O'Donnell is the lead author on an article published online Nov. 14 in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, with Judi Strebel, chair of the marketing department, and their Australian colleague Gary Mortimer of Queensland University as co-authors.

The article, titled, ‘The thrill of victory: Women and sport shopping,’ will be published in print early in 2016.

O’Donnell and Strebel reported that these shoppers are not only competitive, but one of their goals is to outsmart the retail system.

The study looked at American undergraduate students, who filled out open-ended surveys, participated in interviews and took part in closet inventories. The researchers then analyzed the information using three categories: task, ego and social approval

As of right now the data only recognizes females in this new category, but the researchers are sure there are males out there with the same shopping behaviors.

Similar to an athlete reminiscing on their past achievements, a sport shopper can remember details of the bargain items in their closets, sometimes including the date of purchase and the sale and original price.

Another similarity between to two is, this type also develops a plan of action.

Each shopper has developed a strategy behind every shopping endeavor.

O'Donnell contends the sport shopper is different from the bargain shopper in that the bargain shopper hunts for deals out of necessity, while the sport shopper does it for the ‘rush’ of finding a good deal.

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Researchers find new breed of consumers will buy for the 'thrill of the bargain'